Is Graffiti Bad for Business?

14 March 2017

Graffiti often divides opinion. While some see it as nothing more than an act of vandalism, others see it as an art form. Although British graffiti artist, Banksy may be able to sell his work for hundreds of thousands of pounds, the graffiti etched onto walls and buildings is rarely looked at as favourably.

It is in fact estimated that graffiti costs the UK over £1 billion per year to clean upand because it’s so widespread, you may not think that it’s a big deal if you have some on your premises. The truth is however that graffiti can have a negative impact and below we have highlighted the main reasons why graffiti can actually be incredibly damaging to your business.

Why Is Graffiti Bad for Business?

It damages the appearance of buildings and can also destroy decorative or delicate surfaces. First impressions count in the world of business and if your premises have been subjected to graffiti, it may look run down or appear threatening. There is a strong possibility that a combination of the two could really put off customers as well as prospects.

Graffiti can look unsightly and if you don’t remove it, your building can look unkempt which doesn’t set a very good tone for your company. Potential customers may assume that the inside of your building is in a similar state.

Some graffiti can be very offensive to certain groups or individuals. Naturally, you don’t want to be seen to promote anything that could cause offence to anyone.

Customers may think that you have been personally targeted and may jump to conclusions about why this is and it could put them off working with your business.

Graffiti can be costly for a number of reasons. If you don’t remove it, there’s a chance it could devalue your premises. It can however also be costly to remove so if you’ve been targeted in the past, it’s well worth thinking about how you can avoid this happening again.

What To Do If Your Premises Have Been Graffitied

It’s important to be vigilant about surveying your building for vandalism. If there are areas you don’t often see because they’re a bit more hidden or perhaps your employees use a separate entrance to your customers, then it can go unnoticed for some time.

If you do notice that your property has been vandalised with graffiti, do report the incident to the police. If vandals see that you take this matter seriously, they are less likely to target you in the future.

The next step is to remove the graffiti as quickly as possible. Rentokil offers an effective EcoBlasting treatment which enables us to quickly remove graffiti from a range of structures and surfaces.

Prevention is just as important as removal, which is why after the removal of graffiti, we offer an anti-graffiti coating to ensure that future incidences can be dealt with quickly and easily.

If you would like more information about graffiti removal or would like a free, no obligation quote, book an appointment for your survey and we will contact you to arrange a time which is convenient for you.